A Nameless Grave

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 16, 2021

1. A Nameless Grave Marker

Inscription.

“A soldier of the Union mustered out,”
is the inscription on an unknown grave
at Newport News, beside the salt-sea wave,
nameless and dateless; sentinel or scout
shot down in skirmish, or disastrous rout
of battle when the loud artillery drave
its iron wedges through the ranks of brave
and doomed battalions, storming the redoubt.
Thou unknown hero sleeping by the sea
in thy forgotten grave. With secret shame
I feel my pulses beat, my forehead burn,
when I remember thou hadst given for me
all that thou hadst, thy life, thy very name,
and I can give thee nothing in return.

And in honor of the 252 valiant American sailors – 5 Confederate, 247 Union – who gave their lives to defend a cause they believed to be just on March 8, 1862, during the battle off Newport News between the Confederate ironclad Virginia (ex-Merrimack), 2 killed; the Confederate gunboats Raleigh and Beaufort, 3 killed; the Union sloop-of-war Cumberland, 121 killed; the Union frigate Congress, 120 killed; the Union steam frigate Minnesota, 3 killed; and the Union steam tender Whitehall, 3 killed. This was the day before the celebrated duel between the C.S.S. Virginia

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and the U.S.S. Monitor which ended in a draw and in which no lives were lost.

Erected 1965 by The American Legion, Braxton – Perkins Post No. 25.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is March 8, 1862.

Location. Memorial is missing. It was located near 36° 58.663′ N, 76° 26.045′ W. Memorial was in Newport News, Virginia. It was in South Newport News. It could be reached from the intersection of West Avenue and 27th Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located in Christopher Newport Park. Touch for map. Memorial was at or near this postal address: 20 28th St, Newport News VA 23607, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial was on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Hampton Roads,

in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It was also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, June 12, 2026

2. A Nameless Grave Marker

The marker was removed when renovation of the park began as part of a City-driven waterfront access initiative. The contractor that was leading the renovation has since gone out of business, leaving the park overgrown until a new contractor is solicited. The marker itself is still missing, though its brick pedestal remains.

it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Newport News (within shouting distance of this marker); A Great Confederate Naval Victory (within shouting distance of this marker); The Victory Arch (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Headquarters, Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, U. S. Army (about 500 feet away); Victory Avenue (about 500 feet away); Sons of the Flag (about 500 feet away); Welcome Home (about 500 feet away); Newport News Victory Arch (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.

Other markers no longer nearby. Collis Potter Huntington (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Congress – Cumberland (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Newport News Point (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).

More about this memorial.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 6, 2021

3. A Nameless Grave Marker

The park is stalled in a state of partial renovation, which was to be completed in Summer 2023. The contractor performing the work for the city has gone out of business. There is a possibility the marker is returned to this location when the park's refurbishment is completed under a new contractor.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 16, 2021

4. A Nameless Grave Marker

Collis Potter Huntington Statue can be seen in the background.

Christopher Newport Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 11, 2008

5. Christopher Newport Park

This park is home to a number of markers and monuments. The Nameless Grave marker is just to the left of the fountain in the photo.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 11, 2008

6. A Nameless Grave Marker

These waters saw the birth of the Age of Iron Warships when, on March 8, 1862, the Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Virginia defeated several Union vessels. This photo was taken from near the marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 2, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,931 times since then and 51 times this year. Last updated on February 15, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on October 21, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 2. submitted on August 9, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on October 21, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 5, 6. submitted on March 2, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.